I fail to understand how WR can talk about a World cup in XVs rugby for women, yet Africa has totally been ommitted. What is going on? South Africa, Kenya and Uganda have active women rugby leagues. Please include Africa next time in the qualifiers. Thankyou and have a blessed day ahead.

Not entirely true. Kenya and Uganda took part in the 2013 qualifiers, but this time around World Rugby and Rugby Afrique said that their domestic rugby set-up needed to be stronger before they could be allowed to enter (a highly debatable point admittedly, but the KRU and URU did not go out of their way to protest). So South Africa were offered an automatic place in an Asia/Oceania/African qualifier, but then the SARU withdrew only a few weeks before it was due to take place.

johnbirch wrote:Not entirely true. Kenya and Uganda took part in the 2013 qualifiers, but this time around World Rugby and Rugby Afrique said that their domestic rugby set-up needed to be stronger before they could be allowed to enter (a highly debatable point admittedly, but the KRU and URU did not go out of their way to protest). So South Africa were offered an automatic place in an Asia/Oceania/African qualifier, but then the SARU withdrew only a few weeks before it was due to take place.

Johnbirch, I wouldn't know what your source of information is, but I highly doubt if a country would deny to participate if given an opportunity. In the case of South Africa, they could be having some issues with their women's rugby, which could also be alluded to their refusal to go for the olympics.Secondly, if world rugby were serious about growing women's rugby, they would not cluster us with Asia and Oceania, who are far more superior. We just need to compete for a slot by ourselves. Kenya plays spectacularly well in women's 7s, and given an opportunity, would also compete in the longer version.The Kenyan women's league is peaking at a very fast rate, and will soon be the best in Africa. It is played between January and April and is currently ongoing. Check out the rugby afrique womens page for more insight on our league. Thankyou, and thanks for giving me an audience.

Congratulations to Scotland for their win over Wales tonight. I imagine this doesn't help the case for promotion and relegation, but a seven years wait was too much, especially after their good game v Ireland.

johnbirch wrote:Not entirely true. Kenya and Uganda took part in the 2013 qualifiers, but this time around World Rugby and Rugby Afrique said that their domestic rugby set-up needed to be stronger before they could be allowed to enter (a highly debatable point admittedly, but the KRU and URU did not go out of their way to protest). So South Africa were offered an automatic place in an Asia/Oceania/African qualifier, but then the SARU withdrew only a few weeks before it was due to take place.

Johnbirch, I wouldn't know what your source of information is, but I highly doubt if a country would deny to participate if given an opportunity. In the case of South Africa, they could be having some issues with their women's rugby, which could also be alluded to their refusal to go for the olympics.Secondly, if world rugby were serious about growing women's rugby, they would not cluster us with Asia and Oceania, who are far more superior. We just need to compete for a slot by ourselves. Kenya plays spectacularly well in women's 7s, and given an opportunity, would also compete in the longer version.The Kenyan women's league is peaking at a very fast rate, and will soon be the best in Africa. It is played between January and April and is currently ongoing. Check out the rugby afrique womens page for more insight on our league. Thankyou, and thanks for giving me an audience.

Neptune, the KRU women's league is a 10 aside league with uncontested scrums those are hardly grounds to inspire WR to take Kenya seriously in women's 15s. Currently, only SA and Uganda (and I think Zimbabwe - I am not sure) in Africa are running 15 aside women's leagues - the Ugandan one is ongoing. Zimbabwe has started sending under 18 girls' teams to participate in the South African 15 aside under 18 girls' competitions. Uganda also has an under 19 girls' 15 aside league that is ongoing.

John Birch is right, neither KRU nor URU protested their exclusion in the latest round of qualifiers - the players did but the people who make the big decisions did not. Same way that KRU and URU cancelled the women's Elgon cup last year ... players wanted to play but the decision makers decided otherwise.

Thomas wrote:England Women's (Red Roses) sealed their third bonus-point victory after defeating Italy 29-15 at the Twickenham Stoop. Good performance from Italy they looked solid compared to Wales.

Italy does seem to raise it's performance against England? Great score.

Kwese sports seems to be very interested in women's rugby. They have consistently broadcasted FTA games on their channel. ugrugbychiclet, I wonder if you also saw them in your country. So far, i know Kwese broadcasts in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda and want to expand to Ghana and Nigeria.

Neptune wrote:Kwese sports seems to be very interested in women's rugby. They have consistently broadcasted FTA games on their channel. ugrugbychiclet, I wonder if you also saw them in your country. So far, i know Kwese broadcasts in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda and want to expand to Ghana and Nigeria.

I have never heard of Kwese. If they are showing rugby games in Uganda then that is great news. I need to find out more about this.

Neptune wrote:Kwese sports seems to be very interested in women's rugby. They have consistently broadcasted FTA games on their channel. ugrugbychiclet, I wonder if you also saw them in your country. So far, i know Kwese broadcasts in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda and want to expand to Ghana and Nigeria.

I have never heard of Kwese. If they are showing rugby games in Uganda then that is great news. I need to find out more about this.

USA will play only one test match Vs Canada before the next World Cup in the Can-Am series on saturday, April 1st in Chula Vista, near San Diego.An other game was scheduled 4 days earlier on tuesday, March 28th, but it seems that it will be only a training or a behind close doors match.

I watched just the second half and Italy was horrible. Don't want to be offensive but I think that neither the men's teams in the lowest italian category make so many mistakes as Italy made today. It was discomforting: pass, pass, mistake; pass, pass, mistake... I have the feeling that italian team has to be rebuild with younger talents; Barattin is formidable but very light and also Sillari and Furlan seem to me too few powerful to be constantly performing, even if I know that they are doing good things in the english championship. I don't know, maybe in august in Ireland the azzurre will surprise us, but today's performance was very very low

Canalina wrote:I watched just the second half and Italy was horrible. Don't want to be offensive but I think that neither the men's teams in the lowest italian category make so many mistakes as Italy made today. It was discomforting: pass, pass, mistake; pass, pass, mistake... I have the feeling that italian team has to be rebuild with younger talents; Barattin is formidable but very light and also Sillari and Furlan seem to me too few powerful to be constantly performing, even if I know that they are doing good things in the english championship. I don't know, maybe in august in Ireland the azzurre will surprise us, but today's performance was very very low

All of the Six Nations teams had Autumn internationals, and/or pre-tournament warm-up games.

All, that is, except one.

A team cannot improve if it does not play. Italy used to play Autumn internationals, and used to play European Championships, and with that they were able to develop new players and try out new things and generally get to where they were. They do not seem to do that any more.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but Italy have won at least one match every year in the 6N for the last few years. If you meant to say "First time Italy has had no victories since 2009" then that would be correct.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but Italy have won at least one match every year in the 6N for the last few years. If you meant to say "First time Italy has had no victories since 2009" then that would be correct.

I meant the other way around! Italy had won every year since 2009. this championship was the first time there was no victories.

johnbirch wrote:

Canalina wrote:I watched just the second half and Italy was horrible. Don't want to be offensive but I think that neither the men's teams in the lowest italian category make so many mistakes as Italy made today. It was discomforting: pass, pass, mistake; pass, pass, mistake... I have the feeling that italian team has to be rebuild with younger talents; Barattin is formidable but very light and also Sillari and Furlan seem to me too few powerful to be constantly performing, even if I know that they are doing good things in the english championship. I don't know, maybe in august in Ireland the azzurre will surprise us, but today's performance was very very low

All of the Six Nations teams had Autumn internationals, and/or pre-tournament warm-up games.

All, that is, except one.

A team cannot improve if it does not play. Italy used to play Autumn internationals, and used to play European Championships, and with that they were able to develop new players and try out new things and generally get to where they were. They do not seem to do that any more.

-I was in Brive last saturday for the match France Vs Wales.Without an interest for the 6 nations ranking (the final was played the day before in Donnybrook) and with the match broadcasted on French public TV, there was a crowd of 8.710 spectators !!! -